Still Breathing
by chaoticgeekery
Summary: Three weeks after the case is closed, Ellie has grown to rely on Alec's support to keep from drowning under the pressures of every-day life as she tries to move on. But when Alec's health takes a turn for the worst, he'll need her as much as she needs him. Not romantic, just strong friendship. *Contains spoilers for the season finale*
1. Chapter 1

_So, this is my first fanfic. With that in mind, please be patient with me!_  
_I'm not used to playing with someone else's characters, so they may not be entirely accurate._  
_I can't write romance to save my life, so there won't be any._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I wouldn't be posting it here!_

* * *

Alec Hardy sighed as he wandered along the streets of Broadchurch at dusk, not caring where his feet took him. He just needed to walk, to do something besides sit in his hotel room alone with his thoughts. His chest ached a bit from the exertion of even a gentle walk, but he ignored it. After racing around for the case for so long, he was unaccustomed to sitting idly. And if he didn't give his body something to do, he'd get stuck in his head again, in a dizzying flood of images and emotions and conflicted thoughts. So he ignored the pain, and walked.

* * *

Ellie Miller sat on the front steps of her new house, staring blankly at the front walk. It had only been three days since the move, and in the whirlwind of packing, comforting the children, moving their things, and trying to contain her own emotions, she had not had much time to just stop and take a quiet moment for herself. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not – it had been three weeks since the case closed, and her mind was still reeling.

Thank goodness for Alec – who would have thought that the abrasive man had such a soft side? She'd grown to trust him, her previous frustrations replaced with respect and appreciation. He'd been by frequently, watching the boys, checking on Ellie, assisting with day-to-day tasks when the world started to overwhelm her. He'd even insisted on helping to carry the moving boxes, stubbornly ignoring Ellie when she suggested he needed to avoid such things and rolling his eyes as she watched his every move in case he over-exerted. She worried about him, noted the way his breathing would get heavier every time he so much as stood up, how he would lean weakly against the wall and close his eyes for a moment when he thought she wasn't looking, his occasional grimace of discomfort that flickered for a moment and was gone, carefully concealed. She hadn't seen him since he'd helped with the move three days before, and despite the worry gnawing at her mind, she knew that he needed space too. Crowding him, particularly with concern, would only make him push her away. But every night she called Becca anyway, just to be sure he'd been seen that day, awake and still breathing.

"Ellie?" She jumped as the familiar voice cut through her thoughts, and was surprised to see Alec standing in front of her, looking concerned.

"Hi," she said, by way of greeting. She looked at him a bit closer, noting that his face was a little paler than usual. Dark circles underlined his eyes, and he seemed weary.

"Are you all right?" she asked, trying to keep her concern from tainting her voice too much.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, and then a little louder, "I just wanted to check on you. Sorry it's been a few days…" He trailed off, looking a little guilty. Ellie shook her head.

"Don't be," she said firmly. "You've got your own life. I'm doing okay, really."

He looked her in the eye for a moment, and finally nodded. They both understood that "okay" was a relative term now. Ellie looked around with a frown.

"I didn't hear a car…"

"No," he said. "I walked." Ellie looked at him with some alarm. Although she had stayed in Broadchurch - Alec had been right, her life was here - she lived across town now, and he had no business walking all that way, especially alone.

"Alec…" she began, but he waved it off.

"Lay off, Mil-…Ellie." He paused, an apology in his eyes for the slip-up. Ellie hadn't changed her last name – it would be easier for the boys if she kept it the same for all of them. But Alec had quickly switched to calling her Ellie, aware that she didn't need another reminder of Joe. Once in a while, though, old habits showed and he'd slip up. Still looking a little guilty, he continued, "I needed it. Should get back now, though." And with a nod to her, he walked away, back down the street.

Ellie watched him go with a frown, and then pulled out her cell phone and dialed Olly.

"Olly? It's me. Look, could you come watch the kids? For a few hours? It's important."


	2. Chapter 2

**I've just re-uploaded this chapter - they're exactly the same except that this version has fixed a few minor errors. Previously I had added an older draft by accident. Sorry about that!**

* * *

Alec closed the door to his hotel room with relief, leaning against the door for a moment. His heart fluttered, making him grit his teeth against the increasing ache in his chest. Maybe Ellie was right, he shouldn't have walked so far. Blinking blurriness from his vision as he tried to breathe evenly, he stumbled towards the bed, cursing as he crashed onto all fours. Trying to focus on breathing, he crawled to the bedside table, groping for the pills and glass of water that awaited him there. He shoved two pills in his mouth with a shaking hand, and managed to gulp enough water to swallow them. Panting from the effort, he slumped back against the table, exhausted.

He looked up wearily as someone knocked on his door. Was it Becca, worried about the noise? Had he been loud? He couldn't remember. The person knocked again, and Ellie's voice filtered through.

"Alec? Alec, are you there?" He tried to respond, but he was still breathing heavily, and didn't have the energy. He heard a key scrape in the lock – Ellie had made him give her a spare weeks ago – and she walked in.

"Alec!" she said, rushing over to where he sat slumped against the bedside table. "You okay? Talk to me."

"'M fine," he mumbled, words slurring slightly.

"How bad?"

Alec opened his mouth to lie, and then closed it with a frown when he saw the look in Ellie's eye. He sighed and let his eyes close, focusing only on breathing. Usually the pills helped more than this. He grimaced at the increasing pain.

"Did you take your pills?" asked Ellie. He forced his eyes open and nodded slightly, holding up two fingers.

"Two pills? And are they helping?" Alec tried to respond but it was too much effort, and the pain was getting worse, and all that came out was a groan.

"I'm calling an ambulance." He wanted to tell her not to, but everything was blurry and he didn't think he could say anything anymore, and the room was starting to spin. He distantly heard her speaking quickly into her cell phone, and then she was beside him again.

"Alec, can you hear me?" she asked. He lifted his eyes up to meet hers, but then everything was blurring and tilting again. "I have to lay you down on the floor, okay?" He felt her gently slide an arm behind his shoulders, felt her moving him away from the bedside table and easing him towards the floor.

Suddenly his chest constricted and erupted with pain, and he couldn't get enough air. Darkness was starting to close in on the edges of his blurred vision, and he heard an awful gurgling, choking sound as he tried to breathe. There was a roaring in his ears and he could distantly hear Ellie shouting something, but he couldn't hear the words anymore, and the darkness closed in around him.

* * *

Time slowed down, and Ellie watched in horror as Alec tried to breathe, choking.

"Alec, breathe! Stay with me!" she shouted desperately. "Don't you dare die on me, Alec Hardy!" But his eyes rolled back and his head slumped to one side, and he went suddenly, horribly still. Ellie's fingers groped desperately for a pulse on his neck, leaning over to listen and see if he was breathing. He wasn't, and there was no pulse.

Ellie could hear the distant siren of the ambulance now, but they were going to be too late. Her medical training took over – every cop had to be certified in the basics – and without stopping to think, she began doing chest compressions.

"C'mon, Alec," she murmured. "Wake up. Please, don't make me kiss you." But he remained still as she pounded at his chest. With a soft curse, she tilted his head back, pinched his nose and started rescue breathing.

Ellie heard the EMTs race in, felt gentle hands pull her away from Alec as she delivered relentless compressions against his chest. She watched as if from a distance as his shirt was ripped open and defibrillation pads slapped against his chest.

"CLEAR!" someone shouted, and his body arched slightly from the electrical shock. The faces of the EMTs were grim, and only bits and pieces of their hurried words registered. _Cardiac arrest…Still no pulse…Hurry…Charging…CLEAR!_ His body arched again, and Ellie wasn't sure she could watch anymore, but she couldn't look away. Another shout, another shock, and suddenly someone by his head cried,

"We've got pulse! Let's get him out!"

* * *

Ellie sat beside him as the ambulance screamed towards the hospital, clutching his hand with white-knuckled fingers. An oxygen mask covered his nose and mouth, his face deathly pale and forehead glistening with a sheen of sweat. She watched his chest rise and fall – slowly and so shallowly, but it meant he was alive.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thing Alec was aware of was a beeping, drifting through the fog. It became steadily clearer, and he registered that he was lying on a soft surface, covered with a blanket. His eyes cracked open slowly, and he blinked against the bright light. The room started to come into focus, and he saw the familiar hospital machines surrounding him. He glanced to the side, and Ellie's face slowly came into focus.

"You bloody idiot," she said, but her eyes were filled with relief, not anger. Alec slowly lifted his hand and slid the oxygen mask away from his mouth, swallowing and trying to remember how to form words.

"What happened?" he managed to say, his voice rasping and weak.

"You bloody died on me," she snapped. "It took three shocks to bring you back." Her voice was tight with emotion and concern.

"'M sorry," he mumbled, blinking to try and clear his head. He was so tired, and breathing was difficult. She looked surprised – it was clearly not the response she had been expecting. But he _was_ sorry – not for the walk, perhaps, because it had felt so necessary at the time, and really anything could set his heart off these days – but sorry because she had enough to deal with right now without adding him to the mix, and he felt guilty for that. He grimaced suddenly at a wave of pain in his chest, closing his eyes as he tried to ride it out. He couldn't stop the low moan that escaped him, couldn't keep Ellie from seeing his pain or the way his breath hitched in his chest.

He felt her slide the oxygen mask back into place over his face, felt her take his hand and squeeze gently. He was surprised by the contact, and more grateful than he expected for the comfort.

"Alec," she said, her voice quiet but clear. "You have to get the surgery. You were in full cardiac arrest for nearly four minutes. They might not be able to bring you back next time." She paused, and then continued. "When you were on the case, you couldn't take the chance of the risks until you finished. I get that. But that's over, and you're getting worse. If you don't get that surgery, you will die." He slowly opened his eyes to look at her. And he knew she was right – he had no choice now, and nothing left to lose. He nodded slightly, and she looked relieved. He started to close his eyes again, but she squeezed his hand and said,

"Stay awake a little longer. The doctor wants you to go into surgery immediately, but you have to give consent. I'm going to page him, just stay awake." She pressed the call button, and soon the doctor walked in. Alec half-listened as Ellie told the doctor he'd agreed to surgery. A minute later, a clipboard was held in front of his face.

"Alec, this is a consent form. You know the risks you're facing. You have to sign this to give your consent for us to proceed with the operation." A pen was slipped into his hand. Focusing as best he could, Alec slowly raised his hand and scribbled something vaguely resembling a signature on the paper before him.

"We'll bring you to the operating room in ten minutes." With that, the doctor left.

"Is there anyone you want me to call?" asked Ellie quietly. Alec thought briefly of his daughter, then pushed the thought aside. What would he say? She still hadn't answered his calls, and he was sure that saying _"I'm about to have major surgery, hopefully I won't die" _would be considered too soppy. So he shook his head weakly to the question. They were both silent for a few minutes, though Alec noticed that Ellie's grip on his hand had tightened a bit. He felt he should say something, anything, but what could he say? A nurse came in and began to inject something into his IV.

"This is a sedative," she explained. "In a minute you're going to be sleepy and relaxed, and we'll take you in." Alec blinked slowly. This was it.

"I'll be here when you wake up," said Ellie, her voice too carefully casual for the concern in her expression. Alec nodded slightly, his eyes already feeling heavy from the sedative.

"Ellie…" he mumbled, slurring a bit. He forced his eyes open so he could look her in the eye. "Thanks." She looked as if she wasn't sure whether to be pleased or alarmed by his open show of gratitude, and managed a crooked smile before the nurses wheeled him away.

* * *

**Next chapter will be up soon!  
Thanks for reading this far. A review would be really nice - again, this is my first fanfic, so some kind of feedback would be appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews! You are all lovely. =)**

**The reviews were quite motivating, so I'll definitely be able to post another chapter tomorrow!**

* * *

She glanced at the waiting room clock for the third time in ten minutes. It was just after eight in the morning. _He's only been in for forty minutes_, she chided herself. _They said it could take as much as three hours. If everything goes well._ She sighed, and then froze as Alec's doctor appeared and walked over to where she sat. Ellie fought her rising panic.

"What's wrong? Did something happen? Is he…"

"He's all right," the doctor assured her. "But I just spoke with the surgeon, and there have been some complications."

"What kind of complications?"

"Leads for an implanted unit are typically attached to the heart through insertion in a vein," he said, sitting down next to her. "We wanted to try that first. But his system reacted poorly, and his heart nearly crashed again. He was stabilized, but now they're going to do open-heart surgery."

"Isn't that even riskier?" asked Ellie, her voice quiet.

"Anything's risky for him right now," replied the doctor. "But if he starts to crash again during surgery, it will be easier to keep him alive if they have direct access to his heart for manual stimulation." Ellie stared at her hands, processing this information.

"What are his chances?" she asked slowly.

"I don't know, I really don't." The doctor paused, and then said gently, "I'm not going to lie to you, he's not doing well, and he might not make it. But this surgeon knows what he's doing, and we're not going to give up on Alec. He's incredibly stubborn – he may pull through." The doctor looked at her for a minute, his eyes kind.

"They'll probably be in there for at least another five hours. You should go home. Get some rest, eat something. We'll call you when they finish, or if anything changes. You can come back and be here when he wakes up, but you won't do anyone any good by sitting here and worrying for hours."

Ellie sighed – the doctor was right, and she knew it.

* * *

Ellie closed the front door of her house behind her, setting down her things.

"Ellie," said Olly, walking in carrying Fred. "How are you?" He must have seen the look in her eyes, because he came over to give her a hug. "That bad?" he murmured. He was about to say more, but Tom came in.

"Mum! Where were you?" Ellie smiled at him, hugging him around the shoulders. She knew she had to tell him – Alec had spent a lot of time with her family over the last few weeks. Although initially intimidated by the detective who had questioned him, Tom had grown to like and even admire Alec. Now she had to tell him what was happening.

"Come sit down, sweetheart." She could see the fear and hesitation in Tom's eyes – he'd received too much bad news recently. When they were sitting, she took a deep breath.

"Tom, Alec was taken to hospital last night. I went with him."

"What's wrong with him?" asked Tom, looking at his hands.

"You know how he often looks ill?" The boy nodded, and Ellie continued. "He has a heart problem, and it's been getting worse. Last night he… had some trouble, so he was brought to hospital. He's having some surgery done this morning, to try and make him feel better."

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Tom quietly.

"I don't know," she said honestly, looking him in the eye. "But they're going to do what they can. I'll be going back in a few hours so I'm there when he wakes up." Ellie didn't know what else to say, didn't think she _could_ say any more without alerting Tom to how bad things really were. She was relieved when Olly spoke up.

"Tom, why don't you make a card for Alec? I bet he'd like that." Tom perked up with a smile and ran upstairs to his room with a look of purpose.

Ellie looked gratefully at Olly.

"Thank you," she said heartfully, and sighed, putting her head in her hands. Olly moved to sit beside his aunt.

"Ellie, tell me what's going on. The truth, not the version you gave Tom." Ellie looked at him, her face lined with exhaustion and worry.

"It's not good, Olly. He collapsed in his room, went into cardiac arrest. He was dead for nearly four minutes, it took three shocks to bring him back." She paused, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "They took him to surgery at seven-thirty this morning. The doctor came out a while later, and said there were complications and they had to switch to open heart surgery. They're doing what they can, but… they're not sure if he'll make it." Ellie took a breath and then said more quietly, "Alec's been the only thing keeping my head above water. If he goes…I don't what I'll do." Olly put his arm around her.

"How long will the surgery take?"

"If things go well, another four and a half hours or so. They said they'd call as soon as they finish, or if… anything changes." Olly gave her a squeeze.

"Don't worry about the kids – I'll take care of them when you go back. Eat something, take a shower, and lie down for a while. You need to rest."

* * *

It was a long afternoon. Ellie was surprised that she was able to sleep for a couple hours, but when she awoke the worry hit her again and there was no chance of falling back to sleep. She was sitting with Fred as he played with his toys when her phone rang. She scrambled for it, and picked up after the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Miller, this is Dr. Hamilton. Alec just got out of surgery a few minutes ago. You can come see him." Ellie sighed her relief, realizing she had been holding her breath.

"I'll be right there."

* * *

**Important Note:  
I would like to say straight out that I have no medical training. I've done some research while writing this in an effort to make it as realistic as possible. However, in the beginning of Episode 7, Hardy tells Ellie the doctors aren't sure if he'll survive the surgery. Since pacemaker surgery is usually pretty simple and low-risk, I can only assume that his case is rather unusual. And since I doubt Hardy would have said anything if it weren't a pretty significant risk, I wanted my story to reflect that.  
BUT that means I have to add in a bunch of medical details. So while I will do my best to make this as theoretically realistic as I can, please realize that it might not all be accurate.  
If you have any questions regarding my choices on medical stuff in this story, feel free to PM me and I will answer as best I can.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much to everyone who has left reviews! As a thank you, I'm posting this long chapter instead of two shorter ones.**

**A couple notes:**

**1) A couple people mentioned that 8 minutes is an awfully long time to be clinically dead. Good catch! You're right, brain damage usually starts after about 5 minutes without oxygen. I originally chose 8 minutes because I was going to incorporate some mild brain damage into this story. I ended up not including that (I didn't have the heart to do any more to poor Alec), but I didn't think to go back and change 8 minutes to a much a lower number. So thank you for pointing that out! Chapters 3 and 4 have now been edited to read "nearly four minutes" instead of "eight minutes".**

**2) There is more medical "stuff" in this chapter. I'd like to re-iterate that I have no medical training – all the information in this chapter is from research I have done. I'm trying to keep it realistic but it probably won't be entirely accurate.**

* * *

When Ellie got to the hospital, she was herded into an office to speak with the doctor and surgeon. The surgeon looked tired but pleased.

"He made it through surgery. It was close, very close. Surgery is a shock for the system, and his heart was struggling to stay stable. He coded again, so thank goodness we'd opened him up. We were able to directly stimulate his heart and stabilize him so we could finish the procedure. At this point it appears to have been a success – hopefully, this should help him a lot."

"What exactly did you put in him?" asked Ellie. "I researched it after he was here the first time, I know what things are."

"We hooked up an ICD, an internal cardioverter defibrillator, with a CRT biventricular pacemaker. So far everything's working well."

"When you see him, it might be a bit startling, so I'm going to tell you what to expect," said Dr. Hamilton. "He's got a bandage over a ten-centimeter incision a little below the collarbone – that's where we started out. The lump below the smaller incision is the ICD unit. There's another bandage taped over the main incision down the center of his chest, about 25 centimeters long. Open-heart surgery requires sawing the sternum in half, so that is wired together. There are two drains in his chest to keep fluid from gathering. You'll see a lot of tubes and wires connected to machines so we can monitor him. Right now there's a tube down his throat connected to a ventilator breathing for him." He paused to let Ellie absorb everything.

"I'm going to take you see him now. He'll probably wake up within the next hour. As soon as he starts to show any sign of waking up – twitching, facial expressions, sounds, anything – you press the call button beside his bed. When he becomes aware, keep him calm. He will probably be confused and may panic from the throat tube. His wrists will be lightly restrained so he doesn't rip out the tubes from confusion. Keep him as calm and still as you can – we don't want him tearing stitches or jarring anything. He will be in a lot of pain, and you need to be prepared for that. Once I get there, I'll see if he's able to have the ventilator removed. I'll also increase the pain medication until he's more comfortable. Are you ready?" Ellie took a deep breath, and nodded.

* * *

It is one thing to be told what to expect, and another to see it. Ellie stood next to the bed, looking down at Alec. It didn't even look like him anymore, with all the wires and tubes attached and the breathing tube taped to his face. His face was more pale than she would have thought possible. A sheet covered him up to his waist, his chest bare save for the bandages and electrode sensors with wires snaking over to a monitor beside the bed.

Ellie pulled a chair up beside the bed. It was a bit disconcerting to see him looking so weak and vulnerable. Her initial impression of a rigid, abrasive man from their early interactions had evolved into that of a friend who could be relied on. After what happened with Joe, Alec had provided support and insight, instead of the pity everyone else offered. He looked so _fragile_ now. Ellie grinned despite herself as she imagined the not-so-polite response Alec might offer anyone who dared to tell him that to his face, and she felt better for it.

* * *

For a while Ellie sat lost in thought, trying not to watch the clock. She listened to the beeping of the machines around her, soothed by the knowledge that the beeping meant life. The slightest of movements caught her eye, and she looked down to see that Alec's fingers were twitching slightly. She pushed the call button, and took his hand in hers, being careful not to bump the IV.

"Alec?" His heart rate had picked up slightly, and his eyes cracked slowly open. He blinked and his eyes found her, his brow furrowing a bit as his senses returned. "It's okay, you're in hospital, you just had surgery." He suddenly seemed to realize that he couldn't breathe normally, and his head flew up, eyes panicked. His wrist caught against the restraint and his expression became frantic. Ellie gripped his hand, holding it in her own as she gently pushed his head back onto the pillow with her other hand.

"Just calm down, it's all right, it's breathing for you," she said, keeping her voice as soothing as possible. He calmed slightly, but his eyes clenched shut and she heard the faintest of whimpers, and Ellie knew the pain had hit in force. "It's okay, the doctor's coming," she murmured, and was relieved when Dr. Hamilton arrived right then.

"Alec?" he said clearly, "I want you to blink if you can hear me." Alec blinked, his eyes desperate. "Good. Try and relax, let the machine breathe for you." The doctor studied the monitor on the ventilator for a moment, then turned back to his patient.

"I'm going to take the tube out, okay? On the count of three, I want you to cough. One…two…three." With a deft movement the doctor smoothly slid the long tube from his throat as Alec choked and coughed, gasping for air.

"Focus on breathing," instructed Dr. Hamilton, slipping an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth to help. Ellie watched as Alec seemed to calm a bit, but the pain was clearly getting stronger and he started to make sounds that were half-groan, half-whimper as his face clenched in a grimace. The doctor injected something into the IV in his neck, and soon the lines on his forehead began to smooth as the painkiller took effect.

The doctor went about checking the numbers on all the monitors, writing several of them down. When he finished, he turned back to Alec.

"You're breathing well, do you want to switch to the nasal cannula?" he asked. Alec nodded, closing his eyes for a moment as the mask was removed and a thin tube hooked under his nose for oxygen. The doctor then removed the wrist restraints.

"I'm freeing your hands, so don't pull anything out. Tell me if you need anything, I'll check on you in a while." Dr. Hamilton nodded to Ellie, and left.

After the doctor left, Alec swallowed and whispered,

"Ellie…" His voice was weak, and a bit hoarse from being intubated. She took his hand again.

"I'm here."

Alec frowned a little as he looked down at his chest, slowly raising the hand Ellie wasn't holding to run his fingers lightly along the edge of the bandage over his main incision.

"What's this?"

"There were complications during surgery. They tried putting the leads in through the vein as they usually do, and your heart started to crash. They had to do open-heart surgery. Good thing they did, too – you coded again later, and having direct access saved you."

Alec grunted, his fingers reaching up to brush against the large lump beneath his skin that was the ICD. He looked over at her and frowned when he saw that her eyes were damp.

"What's wrong?"

She bit her lip. "They didn't know if you were going to make it," she said quietly, and a couple tears escaped unbidden, built up from hours of worry and not enough sleep. "You're the only thing that's been keeping me going, helping me make sense of things, and I didn't know what I was going to do. I was scared, Alec."

"It's all right," he murmured. "I'm still here." She rubbed roughly at her eyes.

"Look at me, unloading on you when you've only been awake a few minutes…"

"You needed it," Alec interjected gently. "Ellie, you should go home."

"But –"

"I'll be fine. Go home, be with the boys. Get some sleep." She nodded, and his eyes closed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said, but he was already asleep. She watched him for a moment, comforted by the rise and fall of his chest. Still breathing. With a smile, she left for the night.

* * *

**It might be a couple days before I can post again. As much as I'd like to spend all my time writing, real life needs attention too. But no worries, I'll update as soon as I can.**  
**As always, thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. Life got in the way, and whenever I had time to sit down and write, I found that this chapter had me a bit stumped. I think I've written it three times now, drastically different each time. Anyway, here's Chapter 6.**

* * *

Recovery was an agonizingly slow process. The doctors were determined to take things slower than usual after the surgical complications. After three days of close monitoring in the ICU, Alec was moved to the Cardiac Care Unit.

"This is good, you're improving," said Ellie cheerfully when she visited his new room for the first time.

"Forty-eight ceiling tiles to count, instead of forty-four," grumbled Alec. "I don't see much difference."

* * *

Although Alec grumbled, even he had to admit that he was slowly improving. It was a long process, and his efforts left him exhausted and in pain, but it was becoming easier to move around a little. Thank goodness for Ellie. She was with him through every step of the recovery process, steadying him as he began sitting up and eventually standing, holding his hand when the pain was too much, encouraging him to eat despite his lack of appetite, and hounding him to do his coughing exercises every hour like he was supposed to.

On his fifth day in the CCU, Alec looked up when Ellie came in and frowned at him, her arms crossed.

"You told the doctor if he doesn't discharge you, you're signing yourself out," she said.

"Yes, I did," he replied. "I can finish recovering at home. At least maybe I'll get a decent night's sleep."

Ellie sighed. She should have seen it coming – Alec had quickly established a reputation among the nurses for his stubborn streak.

"Fine," she relented. "We'll stop by the hotel and get your things on the way to my place."

"What?" He looked confused.

"Well you didn't think I was going to let you stay alone at the hotel, did you?"

"I'd be fine…"

"We've got a spare bedroom. Either you come home with me, or you stay here, because they're not going to agree to discharge you if I tell them you'll be alone."

* * *

Becca Fisher sat at the hotel reception desk with Paul Coates, reading out numbers from a stack of papers so he could punch them into the calculator in his hand. She looked up as the front door opened, and was surprised to see Alec Hardy come in. Ellie was gripping his arm, helping to support him and keeping him stable when he wobbled a little. The Reverend jumped up and dragged a chair over for him. The former detective sat gratefully, looking exhausted.

"Hey, didn't expect to see you," said Becca with a friendly smile.

"We just came from the hospital," said Ellie. "He shouldn't be alone, so I'm taking him to my place. Thought we'd stop by and get his things."

"Of course," said Becca. "That makes sense." She was glad Ellie was looking out for him – he needed it, and stubborn though he was, Ellie had her own stubborn streak to match.

"You stay and rest, I'll go pack," Ellie told Alec. He nodded, looking too weary to debate it, and she left for his room.

"How are you feeling?" asked Paul with honest concern. Becca hid a smile – she'd told him once that he was like a mother hen who thought of all the townsfolk as her chicks. The vicar hadn't denied it.

"Been worse," replied Alec. He gave a ghost of a smile. "Believe it or not." It was hard to believe. His face was pale, and lined with suppressed pain. He looked even thinner than before, if that were possible – his collared shirt hung too loosely from bony shoulders. The top button had been left undone, and the top of edge of a bandage could be seen in the gap. Dark circles framed his eyes, telling a story of exhaustion. But his fleeting smile, however faint, softened his appearance a bit.

* * *

Finally at home, Ellie closed the front door behind her with relief. Setting down her things, she helped Alec toward the couch. She could tell his energy was fading as he leaned a little more heavily into her support, the pain of so much moving around clearly catching up to him. Ellie was just grateful that he trusted her enough to let her see his weakness and support him. He exhaled with relief when he was sitting.

"Still glad you left the hospital?" asked Ellie with a smile.

"Yes, but you might not be," he said. "You didn't need to do this, Ellie."

"I wanted to," she responded. "Besides, with Tom back in school and Fred in daycare, I need something to do." Alec was about to respond, but at that moment Tom came home, dumping his backpack beside the door. The boy halted when he saw Alec, looking a little shy.

"I brought Alec home," said Ellie. "He's going to stay with us for a bit, while he gets better."

"I got your card," Alec told the boy with a smile. "Thank you for that, it was very nice." Tom grinned, looking pleased, and his hesitation seemed to melt away.

Ellie watched with a smile as Tom sat down and began talking to Alec. It was good for him to have an adult man to talk to, now that his father was no longer around for him. Tom's admiration for Alec was plain, and from the smile on the man's face, he was enjoying himself, too. He never spoke much about his daughter, but Ellie wondered sometimes if spending time with Tom consoled him when he missed her.

If she'd ever had any hesitations about bringing Alec into her home while he recovered, they were already proven wrong.

* * *

**I'm thinking there will be one more update for this story, and then it will be complete. There's a chance it might be another week before I can post the concluding chapter - my schedule is going to be pretty hectic for the next several days - but I'll post as soon as I can.**  
**As always, thanks for reading.**


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